Safeguarding Manager

The Portsmouth Grammar School is a leading co-educational day school known for excellent teaching, superb pastoral care and wide-ranging co-curricular opportunities. 

The Safeguarding Manager is responsible for leading on the day to day management of safeguarding and high level pastoral cases, reporting to and working closely with the Senior Deputy Head (Designated Safeguarding Lead). 

Duties will include those outlined below and any other tasks that may reasonably be required by the Senior Deputy Head.  The duties of the role are reviewed regularly according to the needs of the school and may be subject to change from time to time.

The start date will be in January 2022.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Proactively promote safeguarding to ensure that it is at the forefront of school activity across the whole school 

• Lead on the day to day management of safeguarding and high level pastoral cases, working closely with the DSL

• Liaise with external organisations, including the police, children social care, in consultation with the DSL, where appropriate acting as the school’s point of contact with these agencies

• Liaise with the LADO as directed by the Head and DSL

• Under the direction of the DSL, update all safeguarding policies and documents ensuring that these reflect the most up to date regulations framework & advice and best practice

• Act as a Deputy DSL, maintaining up to date training and maintaining a very high degree of visibility to and availability for staff and pupils to meet as required

• Liaise closely with the DSL and Deputy DSLs to ensure that information is effectively shared within the team

• Assist with administration relating to the management of complex pupil cases

• Oversee and coordinate the administration, filing and case management of safeguarding cases, ensuring that safeguarding records are regularly reviewed, maintained, updated and appropriate follow-up action is taken, supported by robust administrative processes and liaising with other staff

• Oversee the appropriate and effective use of care plans for vulnerable pupils, ensuring that these are regularly reviewed and updated 

• Coordinate, review and monitor the Care List; ensure that it is current and correct at all times, and provides appropriate information to staff to inform their care of pupils 

• Implement a thresholds framework for identifying levels of concern and appropriately managing cases, in line with Local Authority and Government guidance 

• Implement a low level concerns policy in relation to pupils, to ensure that concerns are identified, patterns identified, and emerging issues addressed at an early stage

• Chair regular school Safeguarding Meetings, working closely with the DSL 

• Regularly lead and deliver high quality, relevant and effective safeguarding and safeguarding related training for staff, pupils, parents and Governors as required

• Arrange for externally led safeguarding training as appropriate to fulfil the school’s training needs

• Monitor and evaluate the efficacy and relevance of training delivered to ensure the highest standards of care, high levels of awareness of safeguarding responsibilities, and improved outcomes improved outcomes for PGS pupils and parents and staff T

• Complete regular training needs analysis across the whole school staffing body and ensure that mandatory and necessary training is up to date. Where it is not, take prompt remedial action 

• Maintain a safeguarding training log for all sections of the community

• Oversee and monitor the effective use of school digital systems in relation to safeguarding and wellbeing, and where issues are identified, take prompt remedial action

• Report to and prepare documents, on an annual and termly basis and as required, for the school leadership and Governors as required

• Lead a system of audit and review of current safeguarding systems and practice across the school, participating actively in internal and external reviews 

• Analyse data on a regular basis, to highlight trends with SMT and other staff as appropriate, and promote effective, evidence-based responses across the school

• Be actively engaged with national and local trends, to enable the school to prepare proactively for emerging issues, and promote training accordingly

• Work closely with the pastoral teams to support and upskill staff working closely with children

• Establish and lead a ‘community of experts’ or ‘value champions’ to ensure that there is advocacy for safeguarding across the organisation

• Engage actively with pupils, to ensure that pupil voice plays an important role in informing the school’s work in this vital area and that policies and practices are presented in a pupil friendly manner; and to ensure that pupil views and concerns related to safeguarding concerned are heard and responded to

• Attend the Governor Safeguarding Committee, contributing as required

• Oversee the appropriate sharing of safeguarding information when pupils are transferring into or out of the school

• Work closely with the Health and Wellbeing Centre nursing and counselling teams, to understanding issues affecting pupils from a safeguarding and wellbeing perspective

• Oversee and manage pupil attendance, registration and absence, including the processes around missing pupils with support from the School Office, with particular attention to vulnerable children. 

• Attend the Health and Safety Committee, to ensure safeguarding issues are represented

• Attend the Pastoral Review Meeting and other relevant pastoral meetings

• In all aspects of the role, respecting the confidential and sensitive nature of the work of the office both within and beyond the school

• Other duties as reasonably required by the Senior Deputy Head or the Head.

Person Specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Understanding and knowledge of issues, policies and procedures connected with the safeguarding of children and young people.

• Substantial senior administrative and managerial experience, working in a complex environment and supporting at senior level. 

• Educated to degree level, with relevant professional qualifications an advantage.

• A clear knowledge and understanding of and attention to the requirements of confidentiality and data protection, including the GDPR.

• A positive outlook and a commitment to completing tasks to the highest standard.

• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills, along with a diplomatic and discreet outlook.

• Accuracy and thorough attention to detail.

• A pro-active approach to planning and prioritising work on their own initiative, as well as first rate organisational skills. 

• The ability to maintain a high work rate and to cope with a range of tasks and competing priorities.

• Proficient use of Microsoft 365, desk-top publishing software, databases and management information systems and Google’s cloud-based G suite products. 

• Excellent command of written and spoken English. 

• A good telephone manner and the ability to deal with visitors and callers in a calm and courteous way.

• A high level of personal integrity, honesty, enthusiasm and stamina.

• A willingness to undertake all training required by the school including safeguarding training.

• Emotional resilience in dealing with what can be challenging issues.

PGS is committed to safeguarding children and the successful applicant will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure DBS check.